~ A Lampstand Foundation Blog

21st Century Shoplifting?

This article from the Indianapolis Stardescribes a shoplifting team which is described as “21st century version of shoplifting”; which is not quite accurate.

I, and many of the thieves I knew, were using similar strategies 40 years ago; often wheeling out entire clothing racks of leather coats.

An excerpt.

The five women strolled into the Sunglass Hut within seconds of one another. They browsed for a few moments before huddling near one of the displays.

Then, in near unison, they took pairs of sunglasses off the racks, put them in their purses and fled The Fashion Mall at Keystone store in different directions.

The haul: 12 pairs of sunglasses worth about $3,500.

The group of women called themselves the “Get Money Team,” police said, and they would take orders from customers, keep an inventory of stolen items and advertise their stolen wares on social media.

The July 11 incident is an example of what authorities say is a growing problem that costs retailers nationwide billions of dollars annually: organized retail crime.

“This is the 21st century version of shoplifting. Before, this is something that’s done by an individual, stealing from a store for his or her own benefit,” said Grant Monahan, president of the Indiana Retail Council. “Today, you’ve got groups where people are going into a store, stealing a great deal of merchandise, doing it very quickly and then out the door.”